Recovery Times For Bench Pressing

You've probably heard that recovery from resistance training can take up to 48 hours to complete. During that time, the damage you did to muscle fibers is actively rebuilding so it's stronger for the next session of heavy lifting. A study published in the International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance suggests that men and women recover at different rates.

Researchers had 4 male and 4 female college students take part in a 3 week bench pressing program. Each session involved 5 sets of presses at 50% to 100% of their 5 rep maximum. The men were unable to lift as much weight 4 hours and even 24 hours after their initial training session, but the women showed no differences in muscle strength even after just 4 hours of rest.

True Strength Moment: While this research might lead you to believe that women are invincible under the barbell, giving each muscle group enough time to fully recovery from resistance training is essential for building muscle definition and strength. Nutrition is another crucial aspect of the recovery process. Because amino acids are the building blocks of muscle mass, a post-workout protein shake can make each session in the gym matter a whole lot more.